Comments on: Construct your own flash diffuser

By: scott

scott — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 20:02:05 +0000

Buy a small bottle of alcohol from the drug store, the bottle is just about a perfect fit over a flash head. Slowly cut the top of the bottle, at the taper, until it fits snuggly on your flash. Mine slides on and off with no tape, rubber bands or velcro. The translucent plastic makes a great diffuser in about two minutes. I think it works better than the Omni Bounce.

By: ML1986

ML1986 — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 15:16:58 +0000

I made a much smaller modification to the whole milk jug idea. Basically, my flash diffuser was custom built so that it could easily be installed or removed from my Vivitar 151 flashgun. I made it so that it would be about 1 inch deep, allowing me to adjust the diffusion if necessary. The best things about my flashgun are: 1. It has a force flash button, so before I would take the actual picture, I can adjust the diffuser to match the desired lighting effects before I use up an exposure; 2. It comes with an AC adapter, so charging only takes about 2 seconds; 3. Since it is detachable, I can aim the flash gun in any direction I like.

By: Jayce

Jayce — Sat, 08 Dec 2007 09:00:24 +0000

Great idea. :)

By: Marcel Thomassen

Marcel Thomassen — Fri, 01 Dec 2006 12:32:55 +0000

Hi, I have made a diffuser/softbox myself. I have made a page with instructions step-by-step how to do so. Perhaps it can help others if they want to make one.
Her is the page : http://www.design-daveluy.com/diffuser
Txs Marcel.

By: Frank

Frank — Thu, 15 Jun 2006 15:16:58 +0000

This is a GREAT site!
I started a thread in the Photography-on-the.net forum: Do you Cobble? (Slide duplicator)
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=58609

It includes a Slide duplicator, extra hands, & other hacks contributed by the members. You’re welcome to link to it if you’d like.
One downside is that the images are attached through the host, so they can’t be seen unless you join, which is free.
(Not trolling for new members here; we already have over 60,000) ;)

By: Ed Perchick

Ed Perchick — Mon, 03 Apr 2006 12:56:44 +0000

I’ve found that the results from the milk jug are as good as from a Stofen Omnibounce (which I’ve since acquired). The downsides are that it is not as portable in terms of size, and of course, it doesn’t look as ‘professional’. Otherwise, it works a treat :)

By: Igor

Igor — Fri, 10 Feb 2006 12:55:44 +0000

I have used semi-tranparent “invisible’ office tape attached directly to flash, but not sure that it doesn’t damage flash surface, in my case it was cheap camera, and it’s worked.

By: Brian Hardy

Brian Hardy — Thu, 09 Feb 2006 23:17:07 +0000

I’ve taken some concert shots using the built-in flash on my Canon Digital Rebel, with a cocktail napkin taped or folded around it to dull it down a little bit. It seems to work rather well, as can be seen in this set.

I’ll have to try this milk jug tech though.